a building with snow on the side

Nuuk Airport unexpectedly suspended international flights earlier this week when security staff failed to meet regulatory training standards. That issue has now been resolved and United Airlines will resume its Newark–Nuuk service on August 30, restoring the only direct link between Greenland and North America.

Greenland Reopens Nuuk To International Flights — United Airlines Will Resume Service On August 30

Nuuk Airport (GOH) halted all international flights on August 26 after Danish authorities found that staff were not properly trained for security screening. With no international screening in place, airlines, including United, SAS, and Air Greenland, had to cancel or divert flights. United’s Newark-bound flight (UA80) even turned back midflight over Quebec.

The disruption was swift but short-lived. By August 28, certified security screeners flew in from Denmark and international screening was restored at Nuuk. Airport officials confirmed that the training gaps had been addressed.

A team of certified security staff from two Danish airports has arrived in Nuuk and is ready to reopen international traffic on Thursday. At the same time, arrangements will be made within the next few days so that the security staff in Nuuk can resume their functions as soon as possible.

United confirmed its international link will resume with its regular Saturday service on August 30, bringing back the only direct US-Greenland route (the seasonal route runs for a few more weeks).

This hiccup casts a light on the growing pains Greenland faces as it modernizes. Nuuk’s new international terminal and extended runway, completed in late 2024, have elevated it to the primary gateway for Greenland, replacing Kangerlussuaq (SFJ). That infrastructure unlocked transatlantic service, but this incident shows just there’s still some growing pains to be worked out.

It is not clear exactly what the nature of the secrecy screening deficiencies were, but it is thought that passengers were inadvertently allowed into Greenland, a semi-autonomous realm of the Kingdom of Denmark, without having to go through passport control. Earlier in the month, a United flight from Nuuk to Newark was delayed for three hours because airport security screeners had gone reindeer hunting and did not bother to show up to work.

CONCLUSION

The Nuuk security shutdown was about as comical as flights being delayed when security screeners went reindeer hunting (yes, this happened earlier in the summer). But the problem was fixed fast, and United will fly again on August 30. This episode doesn’t derail Greenland’s aviation momentum, but it is a reminder that there will be some growing pains as Greenland seeks to become a more international destination.

image: Nuuk Airport